The present invention relates to a hair extension system and method for attaching such a system to a wearer""s head.
In my co-pending application Ser. No. 09/836,918 filed Apr. 18, 2001, a hair integration system for extending over the entire head is described. However, in some cases, it is desired to add a lesser amount of hair to the head, and smaller hair extensions are often used for this purpose.
Hair extensions of natural or artificial hair are often used in the hairdressing field in order to provide the appearance of longer or thicker hair. Such extensions are used for cosmetic reasons, in order to enhance the appearance of natural hair or change its look, or in order to supplement thinning hair. Some hair extension methods involve adhering bunches of extension hair to a person""s natural hair, which is an expensive and time consuming process. A method of this type is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,867 of Barrington. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,846 of Gang, a method for lengthening and thickening hair is described. In this method, a knotted strand of the persons own hair is disposed in one end of a tube. An extension piece of hair extends from the other end of the tube. This process is repeated over the person""s head. Again, the process is extremely time consuming, typically taking several hours to complete.
One problem with attaching hair extensions by adhering to the person""s own hair is that the hair extensions will grow out as the natural hair grows. Also, significant shedding of supplemental hair tends to occur as a result of brushing, washing, or other normal hair grooming activities. This is frustrating for the client who has invested a significant amount of time and money in the hair extension process.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved hair extension system and method.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a hair extension system is provided, which comprises a skin-simulating layer having an inner face for attachment to a wearer""s scalp and an outer face, the skin-simulating layer having an opening for pulling a portion of a wearer""s existing hair through the opening, and a plurality of hair strands secured to the skin simulating layer around the opening to extend from the outer face of the layer in order to imitate naturally growing hair.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the skin-simulating layer is of a stretchable material having a curvature for substantially matching the curvature of the wearer""s scalp, so that it can adhere in close, face-to-face engagement with the scalp. The layer may comprise two arcuate strips or bands which are connected together at their outer ends, with the opening being generally crescent-shaped. The layer may be formed integrally in one piece from a single sheet of material having a curvature and with a suitable crescent-shaped cut-out to form the hair pull-through opening.
The skin-simulating material may be a product of the type generally known as artificial or man-made skin, which is normally a polyurethane material of a skin-tone color, and is stretchable to be more readily conformed and adhered to a wearer""s scalp. It may be adhered to the scalp by a suitable grafting agent or adhesive.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a hair extension method is provided, which comprises the steps of:
parting a wearer""s hair to form a central bunch of hair with first and second part lines following a generally crescent-shaped path;
tying the bunch of hair together in a pony tail;
applying a layer of adhesive to an inner face of a skin-simulating layer of a hair extension device having hair attached around the outer face of the skin-simulating layer, the skin-simulating layer having upper and lower generally arcuate strips joined together at their outer ends and defining a generally crescent-shaped opening between the strips;
pulling the pony tail through the opening in the hair extension device with the inner face facing towards the wearer""s scalp;
pressing the inner face of the skin-simulating layer along the part lines of the wearer""s scalp around the opening to adhere the hair extension device to the scalp; and
releasing the wearer""s hair from the pony tail and integrating the hair extending through the opening with the hair attached to the layer surrounding the opening.
This arrangement allows a hair extension device to be adhered directly to the wearer""s scalp, so that it does not grow out as the hair grows. The arrangement of a hair extension device with an opening through which the wearer""s own hair extends allows the natural hair to be integrated with the hair on the extension device for a more natural look.